LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The 7th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team defeated No. 14 UC Davis 13-9 in the Triton Invitational semifinals and then downed No. 6 Pepperdine 12-11 in the sudden-death championship. Jesse Casellini scored the winning goal with 1:07 remaining in sudden-death. It was Casellini's third goal of the game. UCSD overcame a 4-0 defecit in winning the title. Adnan Jerkovic scored a game high four times in helping UCSD to victory. The Tritons are back in action next weekend at the Redlands/LaVerne Invitational. UC Davis defeated Pacific 15-8 for third place.
UCSD 13, UC Davis 9
A.J. Kotanjian and Steven Donohoe scored for UCSD in the first period to lead 3-2 after the first. In the second quarter, Kotanjian, Adnan Jerkovic, Ty Lackey and Jesse Casellini scored to put the Tritons up 7-3 at halftime.
UCSD would not get closer than four goals the rest of the way as Kotanjian added two third quarter goals, Nestor Dordoni scored twice in the second half along with goals by Jerkovic and Casellini as the Tritons won 13-9.
UCSD 12, Pepperdine 11 (SD OT)
The Waves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter before Jerkovic put UCSD on the board with 1:53 in the quarter. In the second quarter, UCSD continued to chip away as Kotanjian (6:45) and Curtis Williamson (5:14) scored to bring the Tritons within one. After a Pepperdine goal, UCSD would come back as Casellini (2:18) and Jerkovic (1:16) would tie it at 5-5. Pepperdine went ahead 6-5 just before halftime.
In the second half, Jerkovic tied the game quickly at 6-6. Donohoe (6:30) and Casellini (4:57) put UCSD ahead 8-6. Pepperdine would storm back with back-to-back goals and tie it at 8-8 with 2:57 left in the third. Jerkovic scored with 1:50 left, but Pepperdine responded with a goal with :35 left to tie it at 9-9 entering the fouth quarter. The Waves put the pressure on UCSD with a goal at 4:20. The Tritons finally broke through to tie it at 10-10 with :58 left on a goal by Kotanjian.
In the first three minute overtime, Pepperdine struck first with 1:10 left to go up 11-10. Ty Lackey then found the net just before the buzzer with :02 left to tie it at 11-11. The teams would both be shutout in the second three minute overtime to force sudden death, tied at 11-11.
UCSD won the sudden death sprint but could not connect on its first possession. It was not until 1:07 remaining when Casellini struck to give the Tritons the championship.
